Having come down with a terrible cold, I thought it appropriate to write up my recipe for a hot drink that may or may not be of benefit to treating such an ailment. Beats doing the dishes, which is next on my list of things to do while staying at home in an effort to recover.
The recipe’s simple. You’ll need, in order of importance:
- 1 lemon
- Honey
- Chilli (liquid or fresh)
- Ginger
- Garlic
Omit garlic except when you want maximum recuperative properties, as it makes the drink a bit gross. The ginger’s not extra important, but I like it. I use about one thin slice of a hunk of ginger, cut into small pieces.
I’ve got this great chilli liquid (Dragon’s Blood) that I use for the chilli (one teaspoon’s worth, or to taste), but fresh cut chilli also works (one small, hot, chilli).
Preparation: Cut the lemon in half, squeeze both halves into a mug to get the juice. Seeds can be fished out if desired. Add the chilli, ginger, and garlic, using a tea strainer (like this one) for anything solid. Fill the mug with boiling water, and add generous amounts of honey to taste. Yum. The strainer can be re-used for at least one more mug of the drink.
Okay, I don’t drink this so much when I’m healthy, but it certainly beats any sort of cough medicine you might be prescribed.